The following application is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein: U.S. application Ser. No. 10/076,874 filed Feb. 14, 2002.
Various vehicle devices exist that are designed to provide a vehicle operator with travel-related information. For example, a display coupled to a global positioning system (GPS) may be used to present to the vehicle operator a detailed map showing the vehicle location, a desired destination, and the geographic details of the surrounding area. Under certain situations, the vehicle operator has the opportunity to study the map in exact and thorough detail. An example is a parked vehicle. There are other times, however, when the vehicle operator is too busy operating the vehicle to safely view the displayed information, let alone study the displayed information in exacting detail. This is particularly the case where the vehicle operator is in the midst of a particularly taxing circumstance, for example, driving in heavy traffic, driving at a high speed, or otherwise distracted by an emergency situation or telephone conversation. In such situations, the display presentation distracts the vehicle operator because the operator focuses attention on the details shown on the display.
Therefore, there exists a need to provide valuable and timely travel-related information to a vehicle operator while minimizing potentially dangerous distractions to the vehicle operator.